Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Coordinator

The Central African Republic (CAR) is a country affected by an armed conflict that has been going on since 2013. At the end of August 2019, a total of 687,000 internally displaced people and about 600,000 refugees in neighboring countries were reported. According to the 2020 HNO, 59% of the Central African population (2.9 million) are still in need of emergency humanitarian aid and protection, including more than 1.2 million people forced into displacement inside and outside CAR. Women and children, representing respectively 52% and 79% of the population in need, are the most affected.

Despite the February 2019 Khartoum peace agreement signed in Bangui with 14 of the armed groups, continuous fighting and violence against the civilian population are observed, with an important number of maternal health concerns and GBV cases registered among the most vulnerable populations of women and girls. This situation is a direct result of the conflict resurgence in several parts of the country, the increasing number of security incidents affecting civilians and humanitarians, and the lack of necessary resources to restore basic services.

Role Description: Under the overall supervision of (D)SRSG/HC/RC, the PSEA Coordinator is responsible for overseeing and supporting the collective PSEA activities of organizations in CA]. The PSEA Coordinator will be contracted by UNFPA and will report directly to the [(D)SRSG/HC/RC]. Working closely with the PSEA Network co-chairs, the PSEA Coordinator will undertake the following:

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Establish the PSEA in-country program

• Support senior leadership in developing and implementing an in-country PSEA strategy
• Support senior leadership to establish an inter-agency PSEA Network for technical coordination on PSEA, consisting of membership from [UN agencies; international, national, and local organizations; UN mission; and/or government bodies] operating in Central African Republic (CAR)
• Support the Network to carry out a joint PSEA risk assessment in CAR to inform senior leadership on strategic decision-making
• Support senior leadership in developing and implementing PSEA Network TORs and a Work Plan, based upon the risk assessment

Oversee the PSEA Network

• Oversee and support the inter-agency PSEA Network in coordination with the Network co- chairs [co-chair organization and co-chair organization[i]] in the fulfillment of its responsibilities under its PSEA Network TORs and Work Plan
• Represent the PSEA Network in [relevant coordination bodies and leadership forums in Context]

Strengthen PSEA within organizations

The presence of the PSEA Coordinator does not lessen the responsibility of individual organizations to develop and/or strengthen their own PSEA programs. The PSEA Coordinator supports organizations to follow good practices in PSEA implementation toward collective achievements, while final responsibility for institutional and collective PSEA lies in Heads of Organizations and the (D)SRSG/HC/RC respectively.

Support Network members and other relevant entities operating in the context to strengthen their internal PSEA programs (where requested) to:

• Establish a Code of Conduct and Whistleblowing Policy that clearly prohibits SEA, obliges reporting of such acts, enforces these clauses when breached, provides meaningful protection to whistleblowers, and encourages safe reporting
• Implement SEA prevention, risk mitigation, and response measures during planning, policy and project development, and programming in each department and in each technical sector
• Train staff on PSEA and the Code of Conduct, including appropriate conduct for aid workers and how to submit and receive complaints under internal and inter-agency reporting systems
• Ensure that internal HR practices are in place in human resource departments that guard against hiring persons who have a (pending) allegation of misconduct against them, and include PSEA content in staff induction, contracts and subcontracting, and job evaluation criteria
• Insert and enforce PSEA clauses in partnership contracts that clarify reporting and investigation responsibilities
• Establish and/or strengthen internal investigation protocols, including clear case handling responsibilities in-country, capacitated investigations staff, and ability to enact disciplinary measures where SEA is substantiated. Where Network members have a dedicated investigation body in Headquarters, strengthen referrals to the dedicated investigation unit.
• Establish and/or strengthen safe SEA-specific procedures for internal complaint and feedback mechanisms (CFMs) and referrals to survivor assistance, informed by good practice and community consultations.

Engage Stakeholders

Community engagement

All activities to engage with the affected population should be planned and implemented in close coordination with Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) and/or Communicating with Communities (CwC) groups/actors in CAR

• As part of broader community engagement activities, support the Network to learn of community perspectives on behavior of aid workers, and preferences in dispute resolution, discussing sexual matters, and receiving and sharing sensitive information to inform the Network’s outreach and activities
• Support the Network to develop a collective communication strategy to raise awareness on key PSEA messages, including the rights of affected populations, the fact that assistance and services are never conditioned on sexual favors, and how to submit sensitive complaints
• Ensure that the implementation of the PSEA Network Work Plan is informed by community participation, contextually and culturally appropriate, and based on the community’s needs

GBV sub cluster Coordination

• Engage and coordinate with Protection cluster in CAR to ensure PSEA mainstreaming during planning, policy development and programming
• Represent the PSEA Network and update on relevant PSEA activities during GBV sub cluster meeting and inter-Cluster/Sector meetings.
• Report back to the PSEA Network on Cluster/Sector developments and updates that may impact the PSEA Work Plan implementation.

GBV sub-Cluster

• Collaborate with the GBV sub-Cluster Coordinator to ensure a harmonized approach to prevention activities and support of survivors, and that PSEA Network activities take a survivor-centered approach supporting the rights of survivors
• In CAR, there is a Senior Victim Right advocate (SVRO) attached to the mission in the context supporting the UN-wide system: Coordinate with the FVRA/SVRO and GBV Coordinator to ensure consistency of the UN-wide approach to SEA prevention and survivor support

Government Actors

• Support senior leadership to develop an engagement strategy with the host government, including identified entry points in relevant ministries and stakeholders for outreach mainly Ministries of health, Justice and social affairs to name but a few.
• UN Mission The mission in CAR and the rest of UN and IN GOs have different Task Forces but they coordinate their action as witnessed by the presentation by UNFPA before the joint Task Force of but the mission and the UN Agencies Fund and Programmes Task Force? They Collaborate at the strategic and technical level with the Mission to ensure harmonization of messages, avoid duplication of activities, and sharing of trends and developments.

Establish/Strengthen an Inter-Agency Complaints Mechanism

The PSEA Coordinator supports the PSEA Network members to establish and maintain an inter-agency, community-based complaints mechanism (CBCM) by linking the CFMs of Network members through agreed referral pathways, establishing new complaint channels where reporting gaps are identified, and capacity-building all persons that operate complaint channels on the inter-agency referral protocols. The Coordinator will advocate for the above understanding of a joint CBCM within the Network membership and beyond so that participation in the CBCM has the broadest scope possible.

Ensure Stakeholder Engagement in the Design of the CBCM

• Assist Network members to consult and engage with all relevant stakeholders during the design of the CBCM in order to ensure support, high-level commitment, sustainability, and community trust and ownership in the CBCM.

SOPs on Complaint Referral

• Support the Network to draft Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on inter-agency complaint referral following the Global Standard Operating Procedures on Inter-Agency Cooperation in CBCMs, and appropriate for the local context
• Support and advocate with senior leadership to finalize and endorse the CAR SOPs
• Coordinate with Heads of Organizations and protection and GBV cluster and sub cluster leads to ensure the referral pathways are incorporated in PSEA trainings and understood by all actors in CAR

Assistance Referral Pathways

In coordination with the GBV and Child Protection sub-[Clusters/Sectors] [and FVRA/SVRO]:

• Mobilize the PSEA Network to assist in a mapping exercise of available services and gaps for health, legal, psychosocial, and material support
• Ensure that the CAR SOPs incorporate assistance referral pathways to provide immediate aid for complainants and survivors
• Assist the Network to train service providers on PSEA-specific components in services

Entry Points for Reporting

• Work with the PSEA Network, the AAP/CwC Networks, and other relevant actors to understand community preferences in reporting sensitive allegations
• Support the PSEA and AAP Networks to map existing complaint and feedback mechanisms (CFMs) in CAR to identify where there are gaps in community access for reporting sensitive complaints
• Based on CFM mapping and community preferences, support Network members to strengthen existing and/or establish new entry points to fill the gaps in reporting access so that there are safe, accessible, and contextually appropriate channels for any member of the community to report complaints of SEA
• Where major gaps exist, in coordination with the PSEA/AAP Networks and on the endorsement of senior leadership, establish a collective channel for complaints (e.g. a hotline or call center) with clear protocols on complaint intake and referral in line with the CAR SOPs. [Where email is an appropriate channel, the Coordinator will oversee a neutral email account to receive and refer complaints]

Train Staff at Entry Points

• Support the PSEA Network to hold inter-agency trainings on good practices in SEA complaint intake and referral for PSEA Focal Points, GBV and Child Protection actors, and all actors staffing CFM channels, so that all actors who may receive SEA complaints know how to recognize SEA and where to send allegations in the joint CBCM
• Support the Network to disseminate contact information of PSEA Focal Points amongst staff and the affected population, so that the entire aid community is aware of and can reach out to the formal reporting mechanism for each Network member

Complaint Review and Referral

• Carry out independent complaint review and referral to the concerned organization and provide appropriate follow-up after referral, in accordance with the SOPs

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Keep anonymized records of allegations received directly by Network members and other actors in-country in order to capture SEA trends and support stakeholders to adjust programs

Promote Information sharing

Proactive Outreach to External Partners

• Proactively reach out to relevant entities that are not participating in the PSEA Network or the joint CBCM to ensure that they are aware of PSEA activities, and to foster linkages and information-sharing

Recommendations to Senior Leadership and Support Bodies

• Regularly report to senior leadership on developments and challenges in PSEA in-country to ensure continued engagement and address gaps in PSEA implementation
• Collect and analyze inputs of PSEA Focal Points and other relevant colleagues, identify recurring issues and trends, and share recommendations with senior leadership with the aim of enhancing strategic and operational decision-making related to PSEA
• Regularly update regional and global bodies to ensure up-to-date understanding of PSEA activities in CAR

Qualifications and Skills Required:

Technical expertise in at least one of the following areas:

• Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)
• Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP)
• Protection
• Human rights
• Child Protection
• Gender-based violence/Victim assistance
• Staff misconduct and discipline
• Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL)

Professional experience

• Minimum of 7 years of work experience and advanced University Degree
• Field experience in humanitarian or development settings
• Understanding of the international development and humanitarian architecture
• Familiarity with the UN system and global coordination structures (e.g. IASC)
• Proven ability to implement an Action Plan
• Experience in developing and facilitating training and capacity-building activities is an advantage
• Familiarity with data protection and confidentiality measures is an advantage.

Skills

• Coordination (experience in an inter-agency coordination role is an advantage)
• Professionalism (proven integrity, objectivity, and professional competence)
• Communication, facilitation, and inter-personal skills
• Ability to work with different stakeholders and build consensus
• Advocacy across a wide variety of actors
• Leadership (ability to lead a technical network)
• Leveraging (ability to engage at senior leadership level and secure buy-in)
• Problem-solving (ability to know what needs to be done and identify the resources to do it)

Languages:

• French and English required

Behavioral requirements:

• Sensitivity to cultural diversity, discrimination, and gender issues
• Ability to interact in a sensitive manner with survivors
• Ability to work in a stressful environment
• Ability to delegate